Buckle



R. E. DOWD Feb. 20, 1940 BUCKLE Filed Dec. 14, 1938 s Sheets-Shet 1 Feb, 29, 1940. DQWD 2,191,228

BUCKLE File d Dec. 14, 1958 3 Sheets-Shegt 2 Patented Feb. 20, 1940 UNITED- STATES PATENT oFFcE 2,191,228 BUCKLE Raymond E. Dowd, Chicago, Ill, assignmto The Russell Manufacturing Company,-Middletown,

Conn., a Connecticut corporation Application December 14, 1938, Serial No. 245,554

' 16 Claims This invention relates to improvements in buckles and more particularly to buckles for use in connection with belts, straps, and so forth.

I One object of this invention is to provide an improved buckle for use on seat-belts employed in aircraft and other vehicles to provide a belt which will have adequate resistance to static and shock stresses. 7 Another object of this invention is to provide an improved buckle characterized by simplicity and an obvious mode of operation for application, adjustment and release of a belt or strap with which'the buckle is used.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved buckle for use in connection with a belt, strap or the like, and which can be quickly released by a single movement of a lever of the buckle and without the need of holding the lever v in release position.

so Another object of this invention is to provide an improved buckle for use in connection with belts, straps and the like, and having a selfenergizing grip which is at all times firm and free from variations due to minute variations in thickness of the belt or. strap.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved buckle for use in connection with belts, straps and the like which can be readily released while under load, and after application of a maximum load.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved buckle formed of simple elements,

readily manufactured and readily assembled to produce an attractive, efiicient and durable conw} struction at minimum cost.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear to those smiled in the art from the 7 present disclosure, this invention cludw all feain the said disclosure which are novel over the prior art. V

In the accompanying drawings forming part of the present disclosure, in which one way of carrying out the invention is shown for illustrae tive purposes:

ti d Fig. 1 is a top plan view illustrating one ement of the inventiomnh Fig. 2; is a side elevation of Fig. 1;

. 3 is a bottom plan view of the buckle, to-

w in Fig. l;

7 4 is an enlarged top plan View thereof;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view in are elevation of Fig. s;

. 6 oi Fig. e, g

l" '7 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 6 but with the buckle shown in its unlocked position;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 1 is a sectional view taken on the line t-ii gether with a portion of the belt or strap shown g I the ears .3! relatively to the pivot 88 and in- (CI. 24-170) I Fig. 9 is a similar view taken on the line 99 of Fig. 6 with the strap-members omitted;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the frame;

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the lockinglever; 5

Fig. 12 is a view similar to Fig. 6 of a modified construction; Fig. 13 is a view similar to Fig. 12 but with the buckle of Fig. 12 shown in its unlocked position, Fig. 14 is a sectional view taken on line IL-I .of Fig. 12;

Fig. 15 is a view similar to Fig. 12, of still another modified construction; and

Fig. 16 is a view similar to Fig. 15 but with the buckle of Fig. '15 shown in its unlocked position.

Referring to the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 11 of the drawings, a belt or strap generally designated by the numeral 20 includes the two flexible webbingor strap-portions or members 2| and 22, and the buckle 23 which serves to secure the strap-portions 2| and 22 together. The flexible strap-portions may be made of woven textile material or may be made of any other material having suitable strength and flexibility. The. particular belt illustrated may serve as a seat-belt in airplanes or other vehicles. Each strap-portion or member 25, 22 has a loopor eye-member 2 3 formed by means of a threebar or double-slot slideor adjustment-buckle 25 in a way that is well known in the art, the eyes it servingto secure the strap-members 2i and 22 to fixed portions of the airplane or other vehicle.

The buckle it includes a frame it, a lockingand-release lever 21 pivoted to the frame 2% and a lockingbar it carried by the locking-lever 2?. The frame 26 includes two bar-portions 29 and as having approximately parallel bar-edges 3i and 32, side-portions 88, and a bottom-plate 38 all formed as one integral piece, the bottom-plate at being formed by folded bottom-portions which are joined togetherby tongue and slot connections tit. v

The locking-lever 2? has a pair of ears 37 outside of and adiacent the side-portions 83 of the frame 2%, the ears 23'! being pivoted to the sidepcrtions 33 by the pins'or rivets it extending through holes it) in the ears 3! and through holes it in the side-portions it or the frame 26.

The locking-bar it is eccentrically mounted in the arcuate slots 68.. The large-diametered portion of the roller-or tubeid is held spaced from the sideyportions. 88 and prevented from moving so into the enlarged assembly slot-ends 66 by the spacer-washers 41.

The side-portions 33 have pressed-indetentdepressions 48 adapted to be yieldingly engaged by detent-projections G3 formed by pressed-out portions of the ears 3?.

The strap-member 2| has a loop or eye formed at one end in any suitable way as, for example, by stitching, to anchor the strap-member 2| to the loclnng-bar 28. The end-portion 5| of the strap-member 22 is preferably made stiff and straight in any suitable way as, for example, by impregnating the strap with suitable stiffening and hardening material, thus providing a stiflened end 5| of suitable length which can be readily inserted in a straight line through the frame 26 between the locking-bar 23 and the baredges 3|, 32 when the buckle is in the open position shown in Fig. 7.

After the strap-member 22 is inserted through the buckle 23 as far as desired to accomplish the proper adjustment of the belt, the locking-lever 21 is swung from the position shown in Fig. 7 toward the left to the position shown in Fig. 6, thus swinging the eccentric locking-bar 28 about the pivot 38 and moving the said locking-bar 28 in an arcuate path from its position shown in Fig. 7 below the general plane of the bar-edges 3|, 32, upward toward and past the general plane of the bar-edges and also in a general horizontal direction toward the bar-edge 3| and away from the bar-edge 32, to thus engage the overlapping portions of the strap-members 2| and 22 between the bar-edge Bi and the locking-bar 28 with the strap-member 22 also extending under the bar-edge 32, to thus firmly secure the strapmembers 2| and 22 against slippage relative to one another. In this closing movement of the locking-lever 27, the locking-bar 28 moves until it engages against the extreme upper forward ends of the arcuate slots 22, at which time the detents 38 and d9 interengage to firmly but yieldingly hold the lever 27 in its locked position. It will be noted that the thickness of the strapmembers 2| and 22 (Fig. 6) is less than the distance between the bar-edge 2| and the lockingbar 28. Thus the locking action of these parts is due to snubbing action on the strap-member 22 and not to any pinching or squeezing of the strap-members between parts ill and 28, and therefore substantial variations in thickness of the strap-members does not interfere with the locking action.

To release or unlock the buckle, it is merely necessary to lift the end of the lever 2'! from its position shown in Fig. 6 and move it toward the position shown in Fig. 7, which results in the locking-bar so being swung down along the arcuate slots to its position shown in Fig. 7, to thus freely release the end of the strap-member 22.

In order to give the parts a toggle or self-locking action, the axis of the locking-bar 28 when in locked position, is located a suitable distance to the left (Fig. 6) of the vertical plane through the axis of the pivot 38 of the locking-lever 21, which vertical plane is at right angles to the general plane of the bar-edges 8|. 32, thus resulting in pull on the strap-members 2| and 22 acting downward to hold the locking-lever closed. But inasmuch as it is only necessary that the angle between a vertical plane through the axis of the pivot 33, and a plane through the axes of the pivot 33 and locmng-bar 23, be about five degrees, the ample leverage given by the lockingand-release lever 21 enables the lever to be are essentially the same and bear the same reference numerals as previously described concerning Figs. 1 to 11, except as will be presently described. Instead of anchoring the loop of strapportion 2| to the locking-bar 28, a suitably different loop 52 is anchored to an anchor-bar 63 which is secured to the side portions 33 of the modified form of buckle 54, a part of the strapportion 2| passing over the locking-bar 28 to be locked with a part of the strap-portion 22 similar to the way described concerning the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 11.

In the modified form 0! the invention illustrated in Figs. 15 and 16, the buckle E l is essentially the same as the buckle illustrated in Figs. 12, 13 and 14, but a diflerent form of loop 55 is provided on an end of the strap-portion 2| to loop around both the locking-bar 28 and the anchor-bar 53, a part of the loop 55 being adapted to be locked with a part of the strapportion 22 similar to the way described concerning the previously described figures of the drawmgs.

If desired, the adjacent ends of strap-portions 2| and 22 could be locked together in any of the buckles shown in the drawings without using any loop anchored to the buckle.

Where the buckle is used in connection with a seat-belt in an airplane or other vehicle, the bottom-plate serves as a smooth support of ample area to avoid discomfort or injury to a person or his clothing.

In order to make the buckle light in weight, at least the frame and looking-lever are preferably made of strong light metal, such, for example, as Duralumin.

The invention may be carried out in other specifio ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention, and the present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

I claim:

1. A buckle comprising: a frame having approximately parallei spaced-apart bar-edges; a locking-bar located at one side of, and approximately parallel to, the general plane of said bar-edges when in unlocked position, and mounted for movement into the space between said bar-edges and toward and from said plane while remaining approximately parallel therewith; and means associated with said frame and adapted to actuate said locking-bar.

2. A buckle comprising: a frame having approximately parallel spaced-apart bar-edges; a locking-bar located at one side of, and approximately parallel to, the general plane of said bar-edges when in unlocked position, and mounted for movement into the space between said bar-edges and toward and past and back from said plane while remaining approximately paral-- lel therewith; and means associated with said frame and adapted to actuate said locking-bar.

3. A buckle comprising: a frame having approximately parallel spaced-apart bar-edges; a locking-bar located at one side of, and approximately parallel to, the general plane of said bararomas 3 edges when in unlocked position, and mounted for movement into the space between said baredges and toward and from said plane while remaining approximately parallel therewith; and

5 a locking-lever associated with said frame and adapted to actuate said locking-bar.

4. A buckle comprising:

spaced-apart'bar-edges and spaced-apart sideportions; a locking-lever having ears connected 10 to said side-portions; and a locking-bar located at one side of the general plane of ,said baredges when in unlocked position, and actuated by said ears of said locking-lever to move into the space between said ban-edges and toward 15 and from said plane.

5. A buckle comprising: a frame having spaced-apart bar-edges and spaced-apart sideportions; a locking-lever having ears connected to said side-portions; and a locking-bar located 0 at one side of the general plane of said baredges when in unlocked position, and actuated by said ears of said locking-lever to move into the space between said bar-edges and toward and past and back from said plane.

A 6. A buckle comprising: a frame having spaced+apart bar-edges and spaced-apart sideportions; a-locking-lever having ears pivoted to said side-portions; and a locking-bar located at one side ofthe general plane of said bar-edges when in-unlocked position, and actuated by said ears of said locking-lever to move into the space between said bar-edges and toward and from said plane. v

7. A buckle comprising: a frame having 35 spaced-apart bar-edges and spaced-apart sideportions; a locking-lever having ears pivoted to said side-portions; and a locking-bar located at one side of the general plane ofsaid bar-edges when, in unlocked position, and carried by said ears to move into. the spacebetween said bar'- edgesand toward andvfrom said plane 8'. A buckle comprising: a frame having spaced-apart bar-edges and spaced-apart sideportions; a locking-lever having ears pivoted to said side-portions; and a locking-bar located at one side of the general plane of said bar-edges when in unlocked position, and carried by said ears to move intothe space between said baredges and toward and past and back from said 0 plane. I w

9. A buckle comprising: a frame having spaced-apart bar-edges and spaced-apart sideportions; a locking-leverhaving ears pivoted to said side-portions; and a locking-bar located at one side of the general plane of said bar-edges when in unlocked position, and carried by said ears to move into the space between'said' baredges and toward and from said plane; the-axis of said locking-bar when in locked position. lying. between two parallel planes, one through'the axis p of the pivot of said lucking-lever-and at right angles to the general plane of said bar-edges. and the other through the bar-edge nearest said locking-bar.

. .10. A buckle comprising: a frame, having spaced-apart bar-edges and spaced-apart sideportions: a locking-lever having ears connected to said side-portions; and a locking-bar located at one side of the general plane of said bar- 70 edges 0. mmcient distanceaway from said baredgestopermit'astrap-endusedwiththebuckle tobeplssedinaltrailhilinebetieensaidbara frame having edges and locking-bar when in unlocked position, and actuated by said ears of said locking-lever to move into the space between said bar-edges and toward and from said plane.

11. A buckle comprising: a frame having 5 spaced-apart bar-edges and spaced-apart sideportions; a locking-leverhaving ears pivoted to said side-portions; and a locking-bar located at one side of the generalplane of said bar-edges a sufllcient distance away from said bar-edges 10 to permit a strap-end used with the buckle to be passed in a straight line between said baredges and locking-barwhen in unlocked position, and carried by said ears to move into the space between saidbar-edges and toward and from said plane.

12. A buckle comprising:

a frame having spaced-apart bar-edges, spaced-apart side-portions and a bottom-plate; a locking-lever having ears connected to said side-portions; and a lockwith; said bucklehaving means designed and adapted to have a looped end of a strap anchored 36 thereto; and means associated with-said frame and adapted to actuate said locking-bar.

14.- A buckle comprising: a frame having approximately parallel spaced-apart bar-edges; and a locking-bar located at one side of, and ap- 4o proximately parallel to, the general plane of said bar-edges when in unlocked position, and mounted for movement into the space between said baredges and toward and from said plane while remaining approximately parallel therewith: said locking-bar being designed and adapted tohave a looped end of a strap anchored thereto.

15. A buckle comprising: a frame having approximately parallel spaced-apart bar-edges: a locking-bar located at one side of, and, ap- 5o proximately parallel to, the general plane ofsaid bar-edges when in unlocked position, and mounted for movement into the space between said bar-edges and toward and from said plane while remaining approximately parallel therewith; and an anchor-bar secured to saidframe and de-. signed and adapted to have a looped end of a strap anchored thereto.

16. A buckle comprising: a frame having 7 approximately parallel spaced-apartbar-edges; a locking-bar. located at one side of, and ap-\ proximately parallel to, the general plane of said bar-edges when in unlocked position, and; mountan anchor-bar secured to said frame; said anchar-bar and said locking-bar being designed and adapted to'have a looped-end of astrap.

anchored thereto. 4 7 7 RAYMOND I. DOWD. 

